Arizona Diamondbacks

Engagement, Grammy nods makes Clarkson 'Stronger'

NEW YORK (AP) - Kelly Clarkson says she's extremely happy she's nominated for three Grammy Awards, but there's something else the pop singer is more thrilled about: her recent engagement.

"I couldn't even find someone to go on a date with that I enjoyed their company. Like, it was just rough," she said in a recent interview.

"You don't see it coming. And it sounds cheesy and it sounds like a movie, but it is that though. One day you'll meet them and everything will change."

Clarkson, who calls Nashville, Tenn., her home, is celebrating her one-year anniversary with fiance Brandon Blackstock. (The couple, who have been dating for a year, became engaged in December.) The 30-year-old says she's still surprised she's become that "cheesy" girl and that she wasn't sure she would find true love.

"I always made fun of those people that were like, `Oh, I met the one. He's amazing,' and I'm like, `Oh my god, go write a song,'" said Clarkson, the first "American Idol," laughing. "He's like my best friend, and he's someone I want to hang out with all the time."

Blackstock, who manages country star Blake Shelton, will be by Clarkson's side when she attends the Grammys, to be presented Feb. 10 in Los Angeles. Her No. 1 hit, "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)," is nominated for record of the year and best pop solo performance.

"I knew from the moment I heard it that it was going to be huge," she said of her feel-good anthem, which is also up for song of the year (awarded to the writers of the song, which doesn't include Clarkson). "I've heard everything from `I got out of an abusive relationship' to `I'm surviving cancer' ... and I think everyone in the world needs that type of song- something that makes you feel empowered."

Her fifth album, "Stronger," is nominated for best pop vocal album. She said she's starting to record her next album and the sound could be a reflection of her relationship with Blackstock.

"I am totally writing cheesy songs," she said. "Maybe he'll piss me off and I'll write a record about that."